2

I'm a second-year PhD student and my PI is accepting a new job. My PI has yet to confirm whether or not I can transfer with her, but I am anxious about the whole situation. Are there any circumstances where they wouldn't let me transfer?

I'm her only student, and the other two technicians cannot come with. I am hoping that this will somehow give leverage to letting me transfer, rather than her having to move and start the lab all on her own.

Much thanks in advance for all of your assurance...

  • anthony
Improve this question
4
  • 3
    It really depends on what is in her recruitment package from the other university — is what she negotiated. I didn’t have any junior doctors students when I last switched, and my senior doctoral students were all within a year of graduating, so I left them with colleagues and sat on their committees as an external member.
    – RoboKaren
    Commented Mar 5, 2018 at 1:41
  • 1
    If I did have younger students, I would’ve asked them what they wanted to do. But i was a senior hire and the new school really wanted me, so I had negotiating power. But someone who is transferring early or mid career may have less negotiating power and may have to leave their students behind. It sucks but it’s academic life.
    – RoboKaren
    Commented Mar 5, 2018 at 1:42
  • 2
    This is really not possible for us to answer. Everything will depend on the particualr rules of the department that your advisor is transferring to as well as your funding source.
    – Brian Borchers
    Commented Mar 5, 2018 at 4:08
  • You should edit your question to explain: in what country, what institutions are involved, how is your work funded...
    – Basile Starynkevitch
    Commented Mar 5, 2018 at 6:45

1 Answer 1

Reset to default
2

As others have said, it is difficult to predict. The factors include:

  • Where your professor's funding is coming from. Presumably, your salary and tuition (after the first 1-2 years) will be paid by her Government grant. Those may be to her directly (and therefore be likely to move with her) or they may be to the university (in which case she will be reliant on startup funds until she wins new grants).
  • Your professor's startup funds at the new university. These may be sufficient to pay you while she waits for new grants to come in, or not.
  • The other university's process for admitting transfer applicants. They may give faculty in this situation permission to circumvent the normal PhD application process; or, they may require you to apply and be accepted. (I imagine this would be more difficult if she is moving from a less competitive to a more competitive school).
  • How far along you are. If you are ABD, it probably makes more sense for you to be advised remotely while you finish; if you are brand new, it probably makes more sense to find a new advisor at your current school. Depending on your field, second-year seems like you would be just finishing coursework.
  • Your professor's preference (and your preference).

Good luck!

Improve this answer

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged .